Outside the Box
by Shelbey
Summary: Shikamaru realizes he has been trying harder at everything recently, but doesn’t understand why. While watching the clouds, he finds that an aggressive, blonde haired kunoichi might have something to do with it. [ShikaIno] [Long One Shot] [R&R Please]


**Title**: Outside the Box

**Author**: Hitachiin Hikaru

**Fandom**: Naruto

**Rating**: "K" for fluffiness

**Genre**: Romance

**Pairings**: ShikaIno

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any part of Naruto, including characters, cities, towns, scenarios, titles, or anything else about it you can think of. I just want to express my creative intent with this fic.

**Summary**: Shikamaru realizes he has been trying harder at everything recently, but doesn't understand why. While watching the clouds, he finds that an aggressive, blonde haired kunoichi might have something to do with it. ShikaIno Long One Shot R&R Please

**A/N**: I wanted to write a ShikaxIno fiction for awhile now, but never had any inspiration for it. So, this popped into my mind while I was taking a shower (I'll have you know that **all **of my story ideas came to me while showering ) and I knew I had to write it! Thanks to 12CBlood and LyokofanYumisman for editing! This is pre-Christmas Wishes by the way!

The day was warm, the sky a bright blue, and the rolling white clouds floated lazily along without a care in the world. A gentle breeze blew softly through the trees and other foliage, making the day ideal for physical activities like training or playing sports, or maybe a nice picnic in the park with your friends. One young jounin decided on none of these activities, choosing to lay flat on his back and watch the white fluffy balls of cotton lethargically scale the sky. He had dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail that stuck straight back on his head, looking cool all the while, and wore the usual olive green vest with black pants.

His brown eyes were squinted against the sun as he examined the shapes they portrayed. Usually this activity cleared his mind and lowered his level of stress, but unfortunately his brain decided on pounding on him with a strange occurrence he noticed a few days prior. He noticed that his shinobi activities had improved as of late, and he actually broke a sweat while training. The only problem was that he didn't understand **why** they begun to progress. Nothing had changed since he had ascended to the higher rank, his team had remained the same, and no difference to the number of missions he had been given. In reality, it was just like being a chuunin with a new title.

Rolling onto his side he mumbled, "How bothersome…" He didn't want to reflect on it; the reason he came here was to clear his mind of anything that wasn't worth thinking about. But the more he tried, the harder it became. He scratched his head absently and sat up, sulking slightly, frustrated that his favorite pastime didn't work anymore. A sound reached his ears, and he looked over uninterestedly to see Ino walking on the exact other side of the field with Tenten, laughing about something. Sighing, he lay back down and closed his eyes.

"Shikamaru! Go for it!"

His eyes snapped open, half expecting to see her standing right in front of him, disruptively calling those words out to cheer him on. He then remembered she yelled that at him during the chuunin exam a few years back and rubbed his temples. _Why am I remembering that now? What a pain… _He shook his head. She's _a pain…. _That was another thing always on his mind. **Yamanaka Ino**. Why though? She was loud, boisterous, annoying, pushy; the list could go on forever! Sure she was beautiful, caring when it really counted, concerned about her teammates, but did that balance out all of her negative qualities? And besides, she's obsessed with that pretty boy Sasuke.

She wants someone extraordinary and he's… well… extra ordinary. Plain as they come in looks and strength, his brain the only thing that moderately raised him above the norm. But why would she like a total nerd? A **lazy** nerd at that. She wouldn't, doesn't, and besides, why was he asking this anyway? It's not that he likes her. Nope, that would be totally wrong. He wants a plain woman that's not drop-dead gorgeous, but not homely either; that would be willing to play go and shougi with him and have intellectual talks every now and then. She wouldn't be a ninja, he had more than his fill of that with his own missions, and she would give him a normal, well-behaved child that would grow up in the same fashion.

As his fantasy grew in his mind, Ino's blonde head inserted herself in there, pulling around two little brunette girls and a blond boy that bounced madly off the walls. Shuddering, he realized that he finally knew what nightmares were made of. He glanced over at the two women again, and watched the blue eyed girl with annoyance. She had let her hair grow out again and let it run loose down her back. Her figure had shaped very nicely, her tight fitting clothes accenting her curves for all to see.

And boy did he see.

Shaking his head and suppressing a blush that crept up his cheeks, Shikamaru leapt to his feet and turned to leave, shoving his hands in his pockets and commenting on how wearisome women could be. Ino looked over her companion's shoulder at the boy's retreating back and bit her lip. Tenten blinked and glanced back at the jounin before smiling slightly.

"When are you going to tell him Ino?" the weapons master questioned, crossing her arms in mock disapproval. Ino shook her head and gave her a half-smile before glancing off into the blue sky. That was a good question. When **was** she going to tell him? She had always thought it would be better not to, considering she was most definitely not his type.

Turning it back on her, she teased, "And what about you and Neji?" The brunette flushed and mumbled something with embarrassment. They both laughed at the inanity of their emotions towards these oblivious boys and the blonde knocked her hair out of her face as the wind began to blow. "Shikamaru doesn't want anyone like me Tenten," she explained, blowing a stray piece she had missed away. "He wants a plain girl, and I guess I'm too flamboyant for his tastes." The other girl didn't know how to boost Ino's confidence, seeing how she normally had enough to supply herself **and** Hinata for the rest of eternity.

Then she remembered something and groaned. "Sorry, I gotta get home Ino; I have a mission tomorrow I need to get ready for. See ya!" She left Ino alone in the park as the blonde stared up at the clouds, wondering how Shikamaru ever found this in the least bit entertaining. Sitting down on the soft grass, she glared at the heavens harder, trying to see if it might work for her. All it did was make her think more of him, and that was something she didn't want to handle. Maybe in the end, it wouldn't have mattered if she continued to chase after Sasuke, since they were both out of her reach.

She didn't understand why Nara Shikamaru had been the one she had fallen so hard for. I mean, come **on**! The kid's lazy, unmotivated, a pain to be around when he's in one of his 'moods' and… argh, she could go on like that indefinitely! Ino pulled at her hair in aggravation. She should want a guy that's really tough, energetic, and handsome, everything she had seen in Sasuke but couldn't find in Shikamaru. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to give him up.

The flower girl was there for a few hours, switching off between contemplating about Shikamaru to looking up to watch the multi-colored sky. Unbeknownst to her, she was being secretly watched from the woods as she examined the sunset, the teen scratching the back of his head. She mumbled, "I guess it was never meant to be." Ino stood up and strolled on her way down the dirt path, Shikamaru pushing aside a branch to get a better look at her.

"Why do I try so hard now?" he questioned to himself. The blonde heard and turned, waving to him with a large grin on her face.

"Shikamaru! Hey!" She ran over to him stopping before him and laughing. "When did you get back?" He shrugged and motioned for her to follow him down the path on the way to the village. As they walked, neither of them wanted to break the silence, only needing to enjoy each other's company for a moment or two. Finally, unable to contain herself, she blurted, "What did you mean?"

"Huh?" he replied, uncertain.

She pouted cutely, and explained, "You asked, 'Why do I try so hard.' What'd you mean by that?" He averted his eyes to the grass, trying to stall his way out of the question. Noting her expression he heaved a sighed and scratched his cheek absently.

Turning his gaze towards her he replied, "Recently I've been trying a lot harder than normal." She nodded, instantly knowing what he meant. She had noticed his change in attitude with great impress, and took every chance she could to watch him train, with the excuse that she was making sure he didn't slack off. "I just don't know why…"

Ino slapped him on the back with one of her famous I-think-this-is-soft-when-it's-really-not whacks and questioned, "Well, do you have any idea? I mean is there anything you're trying to change for?" He slumped and she blinked. _What's he so down about now?_

"Well…" he started uncertainly, parking his rear on a bench inside of the village, shoving his hands in his pockets while sticking his legs out straight, resting his heels on the ground before him. Ino sat beside him and rested her hands in her lap, tilting her head as she waited for him to finish. "There's actually something…" It took all of her self-control not to burst out in frantic questioning, but she learned that with Shikamaru, if you interrupt him he might not get started again. "You see, there's this, uh, girl…"

Ino's heart dropped and she felt sadness wash over her. _A girl…?_ "Yes…?" she questioned, trying to hide the waver in her voice.

He chuckled slightly and continued, "She's… really something. Stunning, tough, but a bit of a pain in the butt when she decides to show her loud, brash side. She has a great personality, too." She nodded again, not trusting herself to speak. So… she was too late with him. He had found someone else now, and she was out of the running forever. "I've always thought she was amazing, and I've often wanted to be something other than ordinary in her eyes."

She mumbled, holding back her tears, "S-so you really like this girl, huh?"

"Well, yes," he told her, examining her face with a cocked eyebrow. "But she… she's not into guys like me I don't think. She likes the attractive, powerful guys that rush into the fight and save the day in the end. And I'm really not like that." Suddenly Ino was on her feet, her hands clenched and tears in her eyes.

Her fists shaking she told him, "Who cares? You're the one that works in the background to make sure the heroes who rush in come out saving the day! You're a brilliant guy Shikamaru! You're good-looking even if you don't want to admit it! And if you have to try harder to make yourself visible in her eyes, then she's not worth it!" The tactician was stunned. Ino, she had no idea that she was the one he had been describing, yet in the end he had been wrong about her. He noted also with astonishment that silvery tears were running down her cheeks, reflected in the dim lamplight of the street post located behind the bench they sat at. "She needs to be grateful for what she has in you, and you shouldn't try to change yourself for her." She shook her head furiously and stomped her foot. "I appreciate you for who you are! But you… you don't even notice!" Ino wiped her face off and turned on heel. "Good luck with her Shikamaru."

As she began to walk away, he got up from the bench swiftly and grabbed her arm. Spinning her around, Shikamaru pressed his lips to hers. Ino's eyes opened in shock as he pulled away, looking slightly awkward. "Uh… sorry," he mumbled, turning his gaze away from her and letting his eyes rest on the sidewalk. They stood in silence for a moment, her looking at him and him staring at the cement. "It was you, Ino, who I was trying to impress with my ninja skills."

"M-me? But you said—"

"Screw what I said," he told her, crossing his arms. "You were the one. The whole time. I just never had the guts to tell you." She pushed her hair behind her ear and shook her head in confusion.

"You were trying to impress me? But why?"

Shikamaru tapped his forehead and replied, "I don't know, people do crazy stuff when they're in love I guess." She blushed pink and looked up at him, her lovely cerulean eyes meeting his brown ones. _There… I said it,_ he thought firmly. _Now to see what she says._

Her face was masked at first by the shadows looming around them, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking. Then she looked up, smiling brightly, and called, "That's great Shikamaru!" She hugged him tightly and laughed. "But I hope you know that things won't be exactly peaceful around our house! Also, I want you to understand that nothing's changed between us even though we're practically dating now; I still get to yell at you whenever I want!" He smiled slightly and sighed.

"You're still troublesome I see. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

**A/N**: R&R please! I'd love to hear your opinions!


End file.
